Group of combinational displays for recreational machines

ABSTRACT

As from a determined number of displays ( 1 ), ( 1 ′), ( 1 ″), three for example, through each one of which three figures ( 2 ) can be seen that are susceptible to forming various horizontal and diagonal winning lines ( 5 ), said displays additionally incorporate numerical displays ( 3 ) coinciding in position and quantitatively with said visible figures ( 2 ), but stationary, which are operative or not depending on whether or not they are lit and depending on the number they indicate at all times, these numerical displays ( 3 ) can be used for obtaining eight other winning lines ( 6 ), three horizontal ones, three vertical ones and two diagonal ones, and simultaneously used as “advance” meters that are indicative of the changes that can be made in the figures and numbers shown through the displays. Furthermore, each display ( 1 ), ( 1 ′), ( 1 ″) incorporates an obturator cover ( 4 ), which permits hiding one or two of the figures and corresponding numerical displays of the also corresponding display, for validating, varying, restricting or amplifying the extension or value of a play.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a group of displays of those used inrecreational machines which give cash prizes to the player, displaysthat, based on providing changing images, permit establishing differentcombinations among the figures of the different displays that aresusceptible to the prize in accordance with a duly pre-establishedwinning plan.

The object of the invention is to provide said group of displays with aseries of services that are complementary to the conventional andpreviously mentioned services, allowing for a considerable enhancementof the game capacity of this type of machine, occupying a minimum spaceon the screen thereof, providing said displays with a multifunctionalcharacter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of recreational machines giving the player cash prizes, forobtaining plays, a series of displays or rollers are used, each onebearing a plurality of figures or images generally established on acontinuous band, such that said figures cyclically appear in thecorresponding display for the player to directly see them, threedisplays being the conventional number participating in the combination,and three figures also which can simultaneously be seen in each displaythrough the corresponding window.

In the beginning, these machines exclusively offered the player oneprize option through a winning line determined by the figures occupyingthe intermediate position in said displays.

As time has elapsed and given that it was necessary to maintain theplayers' interest, the use of more versatile games became necessary,linking secondary games and creating alternative game levels, all withinthe same play. In this sense, the system of “advances” emerged whichpermitted modifying the position of the figures in some of saiddisplays, and auxiliary games were also incorporated into the machine,which on many occasions require a group of complementary displays. Allthese additions have given way to the need for more space in the frontparts of the machines, negatively affecting the volume thereof, notalways being possible to assemble due to the material lack of space, attimes constricting or limiting new games which involve alternating ormaking other options simultaneous.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The group of displays proposed by the invention has been designed andstructured so as to permit a wide variety of game systems, duly solvingthe problems of space, duplication of mechanisms and the previouslymentioned versatility, specifically permitting in only one space, thatwhich corresponds to only one group of displays or rollers, theestablishment of a wide range of alternatives or game possibilities thatare complementary to the basic game.

To do so, and more specifically as from the basic structure of aconventional group of displays, wherein, for example, three displays orrollers of any conventional type participate that are each capable ofsimultaneously showing three figures, the invention is centered on thefact that each one of said displays additionally incorporates threenumerical displays, positioned in accordance with the threeaforementioned figures, such that independently from the combinations toobtain with said figures, specifically three horizontal alignments andtwo diagonal alignments, it is possible to obtain, due to said numericaldisplays, three other horizontal combinations, three vertical ones andtwo diagonal ones, which are completely independent from those obtainedbased on the figures and which can be used for different types ofcomplementary games.

These alphanumerical displays can also be used as meters, for examplemeters of the number of “advances” the machine offers the player in oneplay, for validating a combination, for identifying double or simpleplays, etc.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, it has also beenforeseen that each display is aided by an obturator cover, whichpermits, in addition to visualizing the three figures in each display,hiding one or two of them, which in turn implies another wide range ofpossibilities in the development of the game by being able to more orless restrict the images that can be seen through the group of displays.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to complement the description that is being made and for thepurpose of helping to better understand the features of the inventionaccording to a preferred practical embodiment example thereof, a set ofdrawings accompanies said description as an integral part thereof which,with an illustrative and non-limiting character, show the following:

FIG. 1.—Shows a front elevational schematic view of a group of combiningdisplays for recreational machines carried out with the object of thepresent invention, wherein part of their figures are hidden byrespective obturator covers, specifically in two of them.

FIG. 2.—Shows a view similar to that in the previous figure, but whereinthe obturator covers are completely withdrawn, permitting totalvisualization of the displays.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In the mentioned figures, a group of three displays has been shown, asthis is the most frequently used number in practice, but obviously saidnumber may vary without it affecting the scope of the invention.

In any case, said displays (1), (1′), (1″) are provided with, as isconventional, respective groups of figures or images (2) that cancyclically appear before the observer through the windows of saiddisplays (1), preferably three, as can especially be seen in figure (2).

From this basic structure and in accordance with the invention, eachdisplay (1), (1′), (1″) additionally incorporates three alphanumericaldisplays (3), positioned in correspondence with the three figures (2)that are visible in each display (1), these displays (3) beingstationary and non-operative depending on whether they are lit or notand, logically, depending on the number they express at all times.

Lastly, each display additionally incorporates an obturator cover (4)capable of permitting visualization of the three figures (2) of thecorresponding display (1), (1′), (1″), hiding one of said figures orhiding two of them, as can be seen in FIG. 1.

According to this structure and from a single group of displays, thepossibilities of the development of the game are significantlyincreased.

Some of these possibilities specifically include the following:

-   -   A game base operating with the figures (2), wherein five winning        lines can be established, as is conventional, those referenced        with (5), specifically three horizontal ones and two diagonal        ones.

Eight winning lines based on the numerical displays (3), thosereferenced with (6), specifically three horizontal ones, three verticalones and two diagonal ones.

-   -   The cancellation of one or some of said winning lines (5) and        (6) by means of using the obturator covers (4), hiding a figure        (2) and a display (3) of any one of the displays (1), (1′),        (1″), or two figures and two displays.    -   Any of the displays (3) can be used as an “advance” meter for        the corresponding display (1) or for any of the displays (1),        (1′), (1″).

The obturator covers permit validating, varying, restricting oramplifying the extension or value of a play.

1. Group of combining displays for recreational machines, of the typewhich each display incorporates a plurality of figures that aresequentially visible through the window of the display, which at the endof each play determine, with the figures from the rest of the displays,combinations that are susceptible to a prize, characterized in that eachone of said displays (1), (1′), (1″) additionally incorporates numericaldisplays (3) coinciding in position and quantitatively with the figures(2) that are visible in each display (1), (1′), (1″) and which arefunctionally independent from each display and from each other.
 2. Groupof combining displays for recreational machines according to claim 1,characterized in that said numerical displays (3) are operativedepending on whether they are lit or not and, in the case of being lit,depending on the variable number they indicate.
 3. Group of combiningdisplays for recreational machines according to previous claims,characterized in that in addition to the winning lines (5) establishedby the figures (2), specifically three horizontal ones and two diagonalones, the numerical displays (3) are susceptible to establishing eightother winning lines (6), three horizontal ones, three vertical ones andtwo diagonal ones.
 4. Group of combining displays for recreationalmachines according to previous claims, characterized in that any of thenumerical displays (3) acts in parallel as an “advance” meter formodifying the combinations of any of the aforementioned winning lines(5) and (6).
 5. Group of combining displays for recreational machinesaccording to previous claims, characterized in that each display (1),(1′), (1″) additionally incorporates an obturator cover (4) whichpermits hiding one or two of the figures (2) located in the window ofthe displays, as well as the corresponding numerical displays (3).